Control means for printing or duplicating machines



C. G. KING Jim. I3, 1959 CONTROL MEANS FOR PRINTING OR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 18, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

INVENTOR CAT Gustave K'mq Haw, QM BM ATTORNEYS C. G. KING Jan. 13, 1959 CONTROL MEANS FOR PRINTING OR DUPLICATING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec.

INVENTOP Carl Gustave King A TTOPNEKJ? 1959 c. (5. KING ,868,456

CONTROL MEANS FOR PRINTING OR DUFLICATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 18, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOP Carl Gustave K H g QM +BMo'u ATTORNEYS CONTROL MEANS FOR PRINTING R DUPLICATING MACHINES Application December 18, 1953, Serial No. 399,104

. Claims priority, application Great Britain December 24, 1952 8 Claims. (Cl. 235-132) This invention relates to printing or duplicating machines of the kind provided with means adapted to be automatically actuated once .in each printing cycle to operate a device for feeding a sheet to the printing cylinders and wherein means is provided'for automatically stopping the machine on the failure of said deveice to feed a sheet.

It is an object of the present invention to provide control means whereby the machine may be preset to print a selected number of copies.

According to'the present invention a printing or duplieating machine of the kind referred to includes a lever adapted to be oscillated once during each printing cycle to actuate a device for feeding a sheet to the printing cylinders, a rotary control member, means for partially rotating said control member uniform amounts once in each printing cycle, and means operative on the completion of a predetermined number of said partial rotations ofsaid control member to prevent the oscillation of said lever and thereby prevent the actuation of the feeding device.

The rotary control member may comprise a disc or the like formed with ratchet teeth engageable by a pawl which is actuated once in each printing cycle to efifect the rotation of the control member a distance equal to the space between adjacent teeth of the ratchet. The means for preventing the oscillation of the lever may comprise a pivoted arm which is normally held in inoperative position out of the path of the lever or a part carried thereby but which is displaced into its path when the disc has been rotated a predetermined amount corresponding to the number of copies it is desired to print.

The arm may be adapted to be displaced by a further arm pivoted thereto and engageable by a stud or thelike on the rotary disc when-the latter has completed a predetermined number of partial rotational movements.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side view of control means embodying one form of the invention, the control means being shown in preset position before the commencement of a printing vment of a scraper bar of the paper feed mechanism whereby the paper sheet is fed to the printing cylinders in timed sequence to the printing cycle of the machine. It is well known to provide cut out mechanism which is automatically actuated to stop the machine if the scraper .bar is not actuated to feed a sheet.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawited States atent Patented Jan. 13, 1959 'tated through a single complete revolution during each printing cycle. The arm 2 is provided with a laterally projecting stud 5 movable in a slot 6. When the roller 3 is engaged by the full diameter 4a of the cam, the stud is positioned at the upper end of the slot 6. When, hoW- ever, the cam is rotated to a position wherein its contoured portion 4b is engaged by the roller the bell crank lever is moved by a spring (not shown) in a counterclockwise direction and the stud 5 will be moved downwardly in the slot 6 to control the movement of a scraper bar (not shown) of the paper feed mechanism.

An arm 7 pivoted at 8 is positioned in the path of the stud 5, the arm being connected by a pivoted link 9 to a rocking arm 10 mounted for rotational movement about an axis coaxial with the rotational axis of a control member or disc 11. The arm 10 has a pawl 12 pivoted thereto which is adapted to engage uniformly spaced ratchet teeth 13 on the peripheral edge of the disc 11. Accordingly each time the bell crank lever is rotated in a counterclockwise direction the arm 16) will be rotated in a similar direction and the pawl 12 will be drawn back to engage the next ratchet tooth. When the bell crank lever is rotated by the cam in a clockwise direction the arm 10 will be rotated by its spring 14 in a similar direction to drive the pawl 12 to effect the partial rotation of the disc 11 through a distance equal to the space between adjacent ratchet teeth. The disc will accordingly be advanced step by step uniform amounts for each revolution of the cam 4-, and as the cam is rotated through a single complete revolution once during 'each printing cycle, the number of steps that the disc 10 is advanced will correspond to the number of copies printed by the machine.

To enable the machine to be stopped when a selected number of copies has been printed an arm 15 is provided pivoted at 16 and connected to an actuating arm 17 which is guided for reciprocal movement in a path substantially normal to the arm 15. The arms 15 and 17 are normally urged by a spring 1%; into a position indi-' cated in Fig. 1. However, on the completion of a predetermined number of partial rotations of the disc 11,

a pin 19, carried by the disc, engages the free end of the actuating arm 17 and displaces it to pivot the arm 15 into the position indicated in Fig. 2 where the free end of the arm 15 is disposed in the path of the stud 5 and thereby serves as a stop to prevent downward movement of the arm 2 of the bell crank.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a dial plate 20, numbered 1 to 100 is attached to the disc 11 and a pointer 21 is provided which is fixed relatively to the disc and dial plate. The disc 11 with the plate 20 is readily rotatable in a clockwise direction into any desired position relative to the fixed pointer by first lifting the holding pawl 22 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. This holding pawl is provided to prevent reverse direction of the vdisc when the machine is operating.

As shown in Fig. 1 the disc has been preset to position the mark on the dial plate in register with the pointer 21 and the machine is now set to print eighty copies. When the machine is operated the cam 4 will be rotated once during each printing cycle and will effect the rotation of the bell crank lever whereby the stud 5 will bereciprocated downwardly in the slot to control the movement of the paper bar of the sheet feed mechanism and simultaneously depress the arm 15 to effect the pivotal movement of the arm 10 thereby effecting a step like rotation of the disc 11 in a clockwise direction until the zero mark on the dial comes into register with 3 the pointer 21 indicating that 80 step like movements have been made.

The apparatus is now in the position indicated in Fig. 2 and it will be noted that the pin 19 has engaged the free end of the actuation arm 17 and displaced it to the left (as shown in the drawing) thereby pivoting the arm 15 to position its free end in the path of the stud 5. Fur ther downward movement of the stud is therefore prevented and as the scraper bar of the feed mechanism will not be operated the automatic shut off device will be brought into operation to stop the machine.

When the disc is rotated to preset position for printing a further batch of copies, the pin 19 will be with drawn from engagement with the arm 17 and the spring 18 will retract the arms 15, 17 into the inoperative position shown in Fig. l. i

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the control member or disc 1 is readily reset by providing a series of finger openings 23 located at the tens division of the dial plate. This enables the disc to be quickly moved into preset position to the nearest tens figure and if further adjustment is required for a unit figure the disc is rotated a further amount.

It will be noted that the disc can be rotated to control the printing of any desired number of copies up to 100 by the use of the control member illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. If a greater number of copies is required a larger diameter disc may be provided or the pawl may be adapted to rotate a ratchet wheel connected by a suitable train of gears to a disc such as 11 carrying a pin 19.

As in some cases it may be desired to operate the machine on a long run to print an unspecified large number of copies, means are provided which render the preset control member inoperative. As shown this is effected by arranging that the spacing of the teeth is such that if, for example a hundred step like movements are desired, the hundred teeth will not occupy the whole of the peripheral surface of the disc but a zero area, indicated by 24, will be formed between the 100 and 1. A projection 25 is provided on the disc 11 and positioned so that when the pointer 21 registers with any part of the zero area the projection would engage under the pawl 12 and hold it clear of the ratchet teeth.

The modification of the invention as shown in Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative means for moving the arm 15 into operative position. In this figure the parts which are equivalent to the parts in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals. As shown in Fig. 3 an arm 15a which isadapted to perform the function of the arm 15 of Figs. 1 and 2,

is pivotally mounted on an axis 16a and its free 'end is pivotally connected by a link 26 to a lever 27 rotatable about an axis 28. The free end of the lever 27 extends into the path of a pin 19 on the control member 11 so that when the latter has completed a predetermined number of step like movements corresponding to the number of copies to be printed, the pin will engage and rotate the lever 27 about its pivot 28. This movement will be transmitted through the link 26 to pivot the arm 15a in a counterclockwise direction and position its free end in the path of the stud 5 thereby preventing downward movement of the stud.

A spring (not shown) will be provided for returning the arm 15 into its inoperative position indicated in Fig. 3, when the pin 19 is moved out of engagement with the lever 27 on the control member 11 being reset.

As shown in Fig. 3 the control member 11 is carried by a wheel or drum 29, the rim 30 of which projects into an opening 31 of the casing 32 of the machine. The rim is marked with a suitably graduated scale and is preferably formed with a serrated annulus to enable the drum to be manually rotated to reset the control memher.

I claim:

1. Sheet counting mechanism for a rotary printing machine of the class having a sheet feed control lever and means for oscillating said lever once during each printing cycle of the machine, said mechanism comprising a wheel rotatably mounted on said machine, a rocking arm, means on said arm for imparting a stepwise rotation to said wheel, means on said sheet feed control lever which rock said arm to effect a stepwise movement of said wheel when said lever is oscillated, shiftably mounted stop means adapted when in operative position to. extend into the path of said lever and prevent its movement, and means on said wheel for shifting said stop means into operative position on the completion of a predetermined number of stepwise rotational movements of said ratchet wheel.

2. Sheet counting mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein manually operable means is provided for rotating said ratchet wheel into a predetermined preset position.

3. Sheet counting mechanism for a rotary printing machine of the class having a sheet feed control lever and means for oscillating said lever once during each printing cycle of the machine, said mechanismcomprising a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said machine, a rocking arm, a pawl mounted on said arm and engageable with said ratchet wheel to effect stepwise rotation thereof, link means pivotally connected with said rocking arm, means on said sheet feed control lever which actuates said link means to rock said arm and thereby actuate said pawl when said lever is oscillated, a pivotally mounted stop arm adapted when in operative position to extend into the path of said lever and prevent its oscillatory movement, and means on said ratchet wheel for pivoting said stop arm into operative position on the completion of a predetermined number of stepwise rotational movementsof said ratchet wheel.

4. Sheet counting mechanism for a rotary printing machine of the class having a sheet feed control lever and means for oscillating said lever once during each printing cycle of the machine, said mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said machine, a rocking arm, a pawl mounted on said arm and engageable with said ratchet wheel to effect stepwise rotation thereof, link means pivotally connected with said rocking arm, means on said sheet feed control lever which actuate said link means to rock said arm and thereby actuate said pawl when said lever is oscillated, a pivotally mounted stop arm adapted when in operative position to extend into the path of said lever and prevent its oscillatory movement, a member pivotally connected with said stop arm and having a free end positioned adjacent to said ratchet wheel, and means on said ratchet wheel for engaging said member to effect pivotal movement of said stop arm into operative position on the completion of a predetermined number of stepwise rotational movements of said ratchet Wheel.

5. Sheet counting mechanism for a rotary printing machine of the class having a sheet feed control lever and means for oscillating said lever once during each printing cycle of the machine, said mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said machine, a rocking arm, a pawl mounted on said arm and engageable with said ratchet wheel to effect stepwise rotation thereof, means on said sheet feed control lever which rock said arm and thereby actuate said pawl when said lever is oscillated, pivotally mounted stop means adapted when in operative position to prevent the oscillatory movement of said lever, means on said ratchet wheel for pivoting said stop means into operative position on the completion of a predetermined number of stepwise rotational move mesa-a means for oscillating said lever once during each printing cycle of the machine, comprising a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said machine, a rocking arm, a pawl mounted on said arm and engageable with said wheel to effect stepwise rotation thereof, means on said sheet feed control lever which rock said arm and actuate said pawl When said lever is oscillated to etlect stepwise movements of said ratchet wheel, pivotally mounted stop means adapted when in operative position to prevent the oscillatory movement of said lever, means on said ratchet Wheel for pivoting said stop means into operative position on the com-- pletion of a predetermined number of stepwise rotational movements of said ratchet wheel, and means for holding said pawl out of operative engagement with said ratchet wheel on the completion of said predetermined number of rotational movements of the ratchet Wheel.

7. Sheet counting mechanism for a rotary printing machine of the class having a sheet feed control lever and means for oscillating said lever once during each printing cycle of the machine, said mechanism comprising a ratchet wheel rotatably mounted on said machine, a rocking arm, a pawl mounted on said arm and engageable with said wheel to efiect stepwise rotation thereof, means on said sheet feed control lever which rock said arm and actuate said pawl when said lever is oscillated to effect stepwise movement of said ratchet wheel shiftably mounted stop means adapted when in operative position to prevent the oscillatory movement of said lever, means on said ratchet wheel for shifting said stop means into operative position on the completion of a predetermined number of stepwise rotational movements of said ratchet wheel, and means for holding said pawl out of operative engagement with said ratchet wheel on the completion of said predetermined number of rotationalmovements of the ratchet wheel.

8. Sheet counting mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein manually operable means is provided for rotating said ratchet wheel into a predetermined preset position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,183,529 Brasseur May 16, 1916 1,986,671 Barkley Jan. 1, 1935 2,041,943 McCain May 26, 1936 2,285,224 Nigra June 2, 1942 2,387,311 Wender Oct. 23, 1945 2,441,767 Johansson May 18, 1948 2,538,988 Toby Ian. 23, 1951 2,746,464 Reis May 22, 1956 

